Valve has quietly removed a promise of “4K gaming at 60fps with FSR” from the Steam Machine’s official Steam page, replacing it with the softer “Up to 4K gaming with FSR 4.1” — and the timing makes it hard to read as anything other than damage control. The edit came after tech experts found the device struggling to push modern AAA titles past 30fps, a significant problem for a machine that starts at $1,049.
As reported by TheGamer, the change was first spotted by ResetEra user Neat. The original wording, sitting under the CPU and GPU section of the Steam Machine’s Steam page, explicitly promised “4K gaming at 60fps with FSR.” That line is now gone. So is any mention of 60fps at all.
Key Takeaways
- Valve removed the phrase ‘4K gaming at 60fps with FSR’ from the Steam Machine’s Steam page, replacing it with ‘Up to 4K gaming with FSR 4.1’, eliminating any mention of 60fps.
- The change was first spotted by ResetEra user Neat and reported by TheGamer.
- Early testing reportedly found Black Myth: Wukong, Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora, and Cyberpunk 2077 all running below 30fps on the Steam Machine.
- The Steam Machine starts at $1,049 for the 512 GB model and $1,349 for the 2 TB model, neither of which includes a controller.
- Valve has not issued a public statement explaining the page edit or the reported performance issues.
What the original claim said — and what replaced it
The Steam Machine’s product page originally carried a clear, specific performance promise: “4K gaming at 60fps with FSR.” That is not marketing ambiguity — it is a concrete number tied to a resolution and a technology. The updated line, “Up to 4K gaming with FSR 4.1”, does two things simultaneously: it hedges the resolution claim with “up to” and removes the frame-rate figure entirely.
The edit also upgrades the FSR version reference from FSR to FSR 4.1 — AMD’s latest upscaling technology — but that detail does little to address the core issue. FSR 4.1 can help push frame rates higher, but it cannot conjure 60fps from hardware that is reportedly delivering sub-30fps on current-generation titles.
Valve has not issued any public statement explaining the change or acknowledging the performance concerns raised since launch.
Which games are struggling — and how badly
According to TheGamer’s report, early testing found the Steam Machine unable to run three high-profile modern titles at even 30fps: Black Myth: Wukong, Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora, and Cyberpunk 2077. The report notes the machine handles older triple-A games more comfortably, which suggests the hardware has a ceiling that current-generation titles are already hitting.
Specific frame-rate figures for each title were not detailed in the source, and the exact testing methodology has not been confirmed. What is clear is that the gap between the original marketing claim and real-world performance is wide enough that Valve felt compelled to rewrite the page.
For context on what the Steam Machine was supposed to be capable of, the device’s Steam Machine Verified requirements were revealed earlier this year, and Valve had positioned the library as a strong day-one offering with thousands of Verified titles at launch. Whether those Verified games run well is a separate question from whether the machine can handle the most demanding titles on the market.
How much does the Steam Machine cost?
The Steam Machine is not a budget device. Both models ship without a controller included.
| Model | Price (USD) |
|---|---|
| Steam Machine 512 GB | $1,049 |
| Steam Machine 2 TB | $1,349 |
UAE pricing has not been announced, and the source does not confirm whether the Steam Machine is officially available through the UAE Steam storefront or local retailers. Readers in the region should check Steam directly or grey-market importers for availability — and factor in that any import will likely push the cost well above the US price.
Why this matters for anyone considering the purchase
Spending over $1,000 on a gaming device is a significant commitment. The Steam Machine’s core hardware — a semi-custom AMD Zen 4 processor running six cores at up to 4.8 GHz with a 30W TDP, paired with SteamOS 3 — is not underpowered on paper. But the real-world performance gap on modern titles, combined with the silent removal of a specific marketing promise, raises a straightforward question: what exactly are buyers paying for?
TheGamer editor Joshua Robertson put it plainly: “There’s not much we can do about this, except give Valve the side-eye and wonder why it promised those in the first place if it knew it couldn’t deliver.”
That is the crux of it. The 60fps claim was not buried in small print — it was front and centre on the product page, under the hardware specifications. Removing it after launch, without explanation, does not change what was promised to anyone who bought the machine on the strength of that claim. It just means the page no longer reflects what was said.
The Steam Machine’s price was flagged as a concern even before launch, and the performance results reported since release have not helped the case for the hardware. Whether Valve addresses the underlying issues — through driver updates, FSR optimisation, or a formal statement — remains to be seen. For now, the page says less than it used to, and that says a lot.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did Valve remove the 60fps promise from the Steam Machine page?
Valve changed the description from ‘4K gaming at 60fps with FSR’ to ‘Up to 4K gaming with FSR 4.1’ after tech experts found the device struggling to run modern AAA games above 30fps. No official explanation has been given for the edit.
Can the Steam Machine run modern AAA games at 60fps?
Based on early testing reported by TheGamer, the Steam Machine has struggled to keep modern titles like Black Myth: Wukong, Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora, and Cyberpunk 2077 above 30fps, while older triple-A games run more comfortably.
How much does the Steam Machine cost?
The Steam Machine starts at $1,049 for the 512 GB model and $1,349 for the 2 TB model. Neither version includes a controller. UAE pricing has not been announced.
What is FSR 4.1 on the Steam Machine?
FSR 4.1 is AMD’s FidelityFX Super Resolution upscaling technology. The Steam Machine’s updated product page references it as a tool for achieving higher resolutions, though the original claim that it enabled 4K at 60fps has been removed.
